Skylar Wilson shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Skylar, so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. Have you ever been glad you didn’t act fast?
Right now actually. I’ve been working on a documentary for a couple years now, and I often think about how different the story is from when I started it. The more time it spends rolling around in my head, the more cohesive it seems to become. I heard once that procrastination can be a great thing, because it ensures you don’t act on your first impulse. I think there’s definitely some truth to that. As I’ve slowly been chipping away at this doc, it’s evolved in so many ways and become infinitely stronger than it would have been if I just threw something together in that first year. On top of all that, Zack Hoag (a friend of mine who’s scored some of my videos in the past), is going to be composing all the music for the movie. It’s nice to have time to dial in the exact ‘sound’ we’re looking for and not feel rushed. I’m excited to let it all marinate and see how it shakes out in the end.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Well I’m originally from a little beach town in Delaware, but I’ve been living between LA and south Orange County for the past 12 or 13 years. I still do some work in the film industry up in LA, but lately I’ve been working in the surf industry shooting photos, video, and doing a lot of editing work. The past few years have been filled with some unforgettable travel, shooting videos all over the world with the incredibly talented Blair Conklin. It’s cool traveling with a surfer / skimboarder, because it takes you to a lot of places you wouldn’t normally go; sleepy beach towns in France, secluded Brazilian coves, drifting between ice floes in Alaska. I’ve been really fortunate to have those opportunities and have made friends all over the world because of it. Apart from surfing, I also do a lot of work with the team over at I-Sea Sunglasses. I never expected to enjoy shooting fashion so much, but they really lit that fire for me. It opened up an entire industry that I’m keen to become more involved with, working with models can be an absolute blast. It’s a good reminder to diversify and shoot different things. You never know what you might end up clicking with.
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. Who saw you clearly before you could see yourself?
My dad. He put a camera in my hands day one. I owe it all to him and my mom for being so supportive of a creative career.
If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
It’s okay to be just okay at your hobbies as long as you’re having fun. Having a good attitude and being able to laugh at yourself will often take you further than being the best at something.
Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. Is the public version of you the real you?
Yes and no. Depending on who I’m around, I can be really outgoing or super introverted, but at my core I’m a pretty quiet person. I think a lot of people assume I’m more extroverted than I actually am. I love hanging out with my friends, but I’m also happy watching movies, reading, or drawing on my iPad at home. Give me a cup of coffee and I’ll go full extrovert though!
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
I’m more interested in telling stories about the people in my circle. One of the main goals with my documentary is to give voices to the people who made skimboarding what it is today. It’s such a small, tight knit community, and many of its founders are in their 70s now. I’ve been involved in the skimboarding scene for over 20 years, and it’s given me some of my strongest friendships, life experiences, and a constant sense of community. To be able to honor that with a film documenting the people who brought the sport to life would be a pretty incredible achievement for me.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.skylarwilson.net
- Instagram: @skyrar
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@skyrar
